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College of LAS « Illinois

John Law

Bee-ing Good

John Law doesn't model his life
after insects, but these six-legged creatures have revealed much to him about
what it means to be human.

John Law (PhD '57, biochemistry) is a pioneer in the field of molecular
entomology—a discipline that dissects insects, gene by gene, to understand
the intricate biological pathways that govern everything from how ants alert
each other to danger to how cockroaches produce eggs. Until Law came along, insects
were regarded as second-class citizens in the hierarchy of biological research.
Studies of vertebrate animals, which have more direct applications to human welfare,
garnered more respect and funding. In the 1960s, Law first argued that insects
could serve as models for human physiology. Decades later, few scientists or
funding agencies would disagree.

Law was among the first scientists to study the insect juvenile hormone—the
small molecule that mediates the transformation of caterpillars into moths. His
team's detailed research on how moths emerge from cocoons has led to safer
forms of pest control. Lipoproteins, which are involved in cardiovascular disease
in humans, were first characterized, in insects, by Law's team.
Law described the chemical composition of royal jelly, a compound that "nurse
bees" generate in their pharyngeal gland and feed to whichever worker bee
has been chosen to become the queen. The jelly is primarily responsible for the
bee's extraordinary transformation—queen bees are nearly twice the
size of worker bees and live 40 times longer. The queen also produces 31 million
eggs over the course of her lifetime. Although royal jelly does not impart health
benefits to humans, as many health enthusiasts claim, Law's research has
added appreciably to scientists' understanding of insect metabolism.

In high school, the Florida-born Law wanted to be a marine biologist. A teacher
convinced him to pursue the more lucrative field of engineering. But a research
assistantship at Illinois with legendary chemist Herbert E. Carter and then,
when he went to Harvard, a chance acquaintance with famed biologist E.O. Wilson,
sent him down another path. The attraction for Law, who previously didn't
see much difference between a shrimp and a cockroach, was in finding a niche
where he could make a contribution.

Discovering something new is how Law gets his kicks. He likens scientific
discovery to the thrill writers and musicians feel when they create art. He
felt that elation
in the 1960s when he first characterized insect lipoproteins. He felt it again
with his work on the insect juvenile hormone. "He has set the standards
for those of us who have followed," says John G. Hildebrand, a Regents
Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Arizona.

Self-effacing and modest, Law does not consider his accomplishments extraordinary
even if the National Academy of Sciences, the Entomological Society of America,
and dozens of other honor-bestowing organizations disagree. "Any good biochemist
could have done what I did," says Law.